Bridgit Claire Mendler (born December 18, 1992) is an American singer and actress. In 2004, she began her career in the animated Indian film ''
The Legend of Buddha'', later starring in the films ''
Alice Upside Down'' (2007), ''
The Clique'' (2008), ''
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel'' (2009) and ''
Labor Pains'' (2009) as a teenager. In 2009, Mendler signed with
Disney Channel
Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...
and played
Juliet van Heusen on ''
Wizards of Waverly Place''. Following the positive reception to her character, she landed the role of
Teddy Duncan on the Disney series ''
Good Luck Charlie'', which ran from April 2010 to February 2014. Mendler also starred in the
Disney Channel Original Movie ''
Lemonade Mouth'' in 2011. Subsequently, Mendler portrayed Candace in the
NBC sitcom ''
Undateable'' (2015–2016) and Ashley Willerman in the musical television series ''
Nashville
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...
'' (2017).
Mendler was featured on two singles released from the soundtrack of ''Lemonade Mouth'', with both charting on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100. In 2012, Mendler released her debut studio album ''
Hello My Name Is...''.
It went on to peak at number 30 on the
''Billboard'' 200. The record spawned the
lead single "
Ready or Not" (2012), which was
certified
Certification is the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestation or confirmation of certain characteristics of a ...
Gold and Platinum in various countries. The follow-up single "
Hurricane" (2013) did not achieve the same level of success but is still her second most popular single to date. Mendler released new music independently in 2016 and 2017.
Mendler also has links with several philanthropic projects and humanitarian causes. From 2010 to 2012, she served as ambassador to
First Book
First Book is a national, nonprofit social enterprise focusing on educational equity as a path out of poverty. The organization addresses barriers to education faced by children in low-income and historically excluded communities by providing brand ...
, a campaign to encourage reading and gives books to children in need, and ''Give with Target'', with
Target Corporation to raise funds to reform schools in the United States. Since 2017, she has been a student and researcher with the
MIT Media Lab. She is the recipient of
various accolades, including a
Radio Disney Music Award, and nominations for a
Young Artist Award, eight
World Music Awards, and three
Shorty Awards
The Shorty Awards (also known as “The Shortys”) honors the most innovative work globally in digital and social media by brands, agencies, nonprofits and creators. The Shortys’ mission is to celebrate, inspire and push the boundaries of exce ...
.
Early life
Mendler was born in
Washington, D.C. She is the daughter of Sandra Ford-Mendler and Charles Mendler, and has a younger brother named Nicholas. She moved with her family to
Mill Valley, California
Mill Valley is a city in Marin County, California, Marin County, California, United States, located about north of San Francisco via the Golden Gate Bridge and from Napa Valley. The population was 14,231 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 ...
, at the age of eight. It was there where she first expressed interest in acting and began working in plays.
When she was eight years old, Mendler began taking part in local roles in both dramatic and musical theatre, and became the youngest performer in the
San Francisco Fringe Festival
The San Francisco Fringe Festival, or SF Fringe, is a fringe theater festival produced by the EXIT Theatre in San Francisco. It is one of the oldest fringe festivals in the United States. It takes place over the course of two weeks every Septembe ...
. When she was 11 years old, she hired an agent to help her get acting jobs. Mendler is the niece of psychologist
Christine Blasey Ford.
Career
2004–2008: Career beginnings
In 2004, Mendler got her first acting role in the animated
Indian film ''
The Legend of Buddha'', in which she portrayed Lucy. When she was 13 years old, she got an acting role as a guest star on the soap opera ''
General Hospital
''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the list of longest-running television shows by category, longest-running American soap opera in pro ...
''. She portrayed the dream child of character
Lulu Spencer
Lulu Spencer is a fictional character from ''General Hospital'', an American soap opera on the ABC network, portrayed by Emme Rylan. Previously, Lulu was portrayed by child actress, Tessa Allen from 2004 to 2005. The role was most notably portray ...
, in which the two have an argument on Mendler's character's birthday. The scene, lasting just under a minute, is later revealed to be a dream. That same year, Mendler was the voice of the character Thorn in the video game ''Bone: The Great Cow Race'', which was based on the
Bone comic series. In 2007, Mendler made her film debut in the
film adaption
A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dial ...
of the
''Alice'' series, titled ''
Alice Upside Down''. Mendler starred alongside
Disney Channel
Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...
actress
Alyson Stoner and
Lucas Grabeel. Mendler portrayed the antagonistic role of Pamela, who is the rival of Stoner's character, Alice. For the film's soundtrack, Mendler provided backing vocals on the song "Free Spirit", performed by Stoner. Also in 2007 Mendler auditioned for ''
Sonny with a Chance'' for the role of Sonny Munroe, but
Demi Lovato
Demetria Devonne Lovato ( ; born August 20, 1992), known as Demi Lovato, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. After appearing on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004), Lovato rose to prominence for pl ...
was chosen. In 2008, it was announced that Mendler would play the role of Kristen Gregory in the
film adaption
A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dial ...
of the popular teen novel series ''
The Clique ''by Lisi Harrison. Mendler had the role of Kristen, a girl who attends OCD on a scholarship, and works hard to keep her good grades.
She also had begun working on a film with actress and singer
Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Dee Lohan ( ; born July 2, 1986) is an American actress and singer. Born in New York City and raised on Long Island, Lohan was signed to Ford Models at the age of three. Having appeared as a regular on the television soap opera '' An ...
titled ''
Labor Pains'', which kept being pushed back due to various conflicts and problems. Though initially slated for a theatrical release, the film did not receive one in the US and was instead released as a TV film on
ABC Family
The American cable television, cable and satellite television network that is now known as Freeform (TV channel), Freeform was originally launched as the CBN Satellite Service on April 29, 1977, and has gone through several different owners (and s ...
in 2009. The film did, however, receive a theatrical release in countries such as Russia, Romania, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, Ecuador, and Mexico. The film drew 2.1 million viewers, a better-than-average prime-time audience for ABC Family, and per the network, was the week's top
cable film among coveted female demographic groups. She had a supporting role in the film ''
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel''.
2009–2012: Breakthrough with Disney
In 2009, Mendler became a recurring character in the
Disney Channel
Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...
series ''
Wizards of Waverly Place''. Mendler portrayed the role of Juliet Van Heusen, a vampire who later forms a romance with
David Henrie's character Justin Russo. This lasts till the series finale. Mendler would go on to appear in eleven episodes total for the series, spanning from 2009 to 2012 when the series ended. In 2010, Mendler became the star of the
Disney Channel Original Series ''
Good Luck Charlie'', centering on a teenage girl who makes videos for her baby sister to watch as she gets older. The series premiered on April 4, 2010, and was met with a positive critical reception and viewership. In the third season, Disney Channel announced that the series would feature a same-sex couple. This decision caused a protest from the conservative group "
One Million Moms" asking Disney Channel not to air the episode. One of Disney's spokespersons told TV Guide the episode was "developed to be relevant to kids and families around the world and to reflect themes of diversity and inclusiveness." Disney aired the episode as planned. Other people including actors
Miley Cyrus and
Evan Rachel Wood expressed their support.
In 2011, she starred as Olivia White, the lead role in the
Disney Channel Original Movie ''
Lemonade Mouth'', watched by 5.7 million viewers on its premiere night. Mendler performed numerous songs for the film's soundtrack, which was released on April 12, 2011 by
Walt Disney Records. The first single released from the soundtrack, titled "
Somebody
Somebody may refer to:
Music Albums
* ''Somebody'', by Connie Dover, 1991
* ''Somebody'', by Philip Michael Thomas, 1988
Songs
* "Somebody" (Aerosmith song), 1973
* "Somebody" (Bonnie McKee song), 2004
* "Somebody" (Bridgit Mendler song), 2 ...
", was released on March 4, and peaked at number 89 on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart.
The second single, "
Determinate
In logic and philosophy (especially metaphysics), a property is a characteristic of an object; a red object is said to have the property of redness. The property may be considered a form of object in its own right, able to possess other propertie ...
", charted in numerous other countries and peaked at number 51 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.
In an interview with Kidzworld Media, Mendler confirmed that there will not be a sequel to ''Lemonade Mouth'', commenting: "There’s not
oing to be a sequel to ''Lemonade Mouth''unfortunately. We had such a great experience working on the movie, and they tried to figure something out for a sequel, but everyone at Disney felt like the movie had completed its story in the first movie. It was a great experience, and I loved working with the cast members and still see them frequently." In 2011, Mendler had the supporting role of Appoline in the straight to DVD film ''
Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2''. Mendler recorded the song "
This Is My Paradise" for the film, which was released as a promotional single on January 11, 2011, with a music video directed by Alex Zamm.
On March 31, 2011, it was confirmed that Mendler had signed with
Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records is an American record label of the Disney Music Group. The label focuses in pop, rock, alternative, hip hop, and country genres, as well as specializing in mature recordings not suitable for the flagship Walt Disney Records l ...
, and had begun working on her debut album.
Also in 2011 Mendler also starred the
Disney Channel Original Movie ''
Good Luck Charlie, It's Christmas!'', which premiered on December 2, 2011.
The song "
I'm Gonna Run to You" was co-written and performed by Mendler, and was also featured in the film and released as promotional single on November 12, 2011. Mendler later co-wrote and sang the ''
Disney's Friends for Change Games'' anthem called "
We Can Change the World
Disney's Friends for Change (also referred to as Friends for Change: Project Green) is a pro-social "green" initiative that started in the summer of 2009.
History
Disney stars stress environmental issues in the campaign, encouraging fans to take ...
", released as her third promotional single on June 11, 2011.
In 2012, she guest-starred in the television series ''
House
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
'' as Callie Rogers, a homeless runaway teenager with a mysterious illness. She voiced the lead role of Arrietty in the American English dub of ''
The Secret World of Arrietty'',
and she recorded a song, "
Summertime," for the movie, which was released as a promotional single on February 2.
2012–2015: Musical debut and ''Undateable''
In Summer 2012, Mendler confirmed that the title of her official debut single was "
Ready or Not", written by Mendler herself,
Emanuel "Eman" Kiriakou and
Evan "Kidd" Bogart. The song was released for digital download on August 7 and for radio airplay on August 21, 2012. "Ready or Not" peaked at 49 in the United States and 53 in Australia, but at number seven in the United Kingdom and within the top twenty of the charts in Belgium, the Republic of Ireland and New Zealand. The song received platinum certification in the United States and Canada and Gold in Denmark, New Zealand and Norway. Mendler ventured on her first headlining tour,
Bridgit Mendler: Live in Concert, supporting her first studio album. The tour primarily reached only North America and she played at state fairs, music festivals and Jingle Ball's concerts series.
Mendler's debut album, ''
Hello My Name Is...'', was released on October 22 by
Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records is an American record label of the Disney Music Group. The label focuses in pop, rock, alternative, hip hop, and country genres, as well as specializing in mature recordings not suitable for the flagship Walt Disney Records l ...
and all the songs were written by Mendler with collaborators, included 12 tracks in standard version and 15 in deluxe edition.
Mendler was also involved in its production.
The album peaked at number 30 on the
''Billboard'' 200 and sold less than 200,000 copies in the country.
Internationally "Hello My Name Is .." debuted in a few countries including Poland, Australia, United Kingdom, France and Spain. Mendler's vocals have been compared to
Lily Allen,
Cher Lloyd,
Jessie J
Jessica Ellen Cornish (born 27 March 1988), known professionally as Jessie J, is an English singer. Born and raised in London, she began her career on stage, aged 11, with a role in the West End musical '' Whistle Down the Wind''. She studied ...
and
Karmin.
She released two promotional singles on the album: "
Forgot to Laugh" and "
Top of the World". On February 12, 2013, her second single, "
Hurricane", was released for radio airplay. The song peaked at number 1 on the ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''
Bubbling Under Hot 100 in the United States. On April 2 Mendler released a remix single version and, on June 21, an EP remixed. Also in June Mendler debuted her second tour, the
Summer Tour, reaching only the United States. On April 30 she released the
extended play ''
Live in London'', by
Universal Music, recorded at a special performance in the United Kingdom. It on Mendler's
VEVO On November 16, 2013 was premiered the music video for acoustic version of "
Top of the World", directed by Matt Wyatt. She recorded it on her own, independent of
Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records is an American record label of the Disney Music Group. The label focuses in pop, rock, alternative, hip hop, and country genres, as well as specializing in mature recordings not suitable for the flagship Walt Disney Records l ...
, and filmed in
Griffith Park, in
Los Angeles.
On June 28, 2014, Mendler began the second leg of her
Summer Tour, in
Charlottetown
Charlottetown is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, Charlottetown was an unincorporated town until it was incorporated as a city in ...
, Prince Edward Island, Canada. On that date, she sang one of her new songs, "Fly to You", about a relationship that was said to be on the rocks but worth fighting for. On July 5, she performed another new song, "Deeper Shade Of Us", with
disco
Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
influences. On November 25, 2014, Mendler was announced as a member of the main cast of the
NBC comedy series ''
Undateable'' in season two. She portrays the character Candace, an unlucky and undefeatably optimistic waitress, who becomes part of the main group. During the season, Candace and Justin, played by
Brent Morin, were dating. After initial reports, it was confirmed on July 2, 2015, that Mendler left
Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records is an American record label of the Disney Music Group. The label focuses in pop, rock, alternative, hip hop, and country genres, as well as specializing in mature recordings not suitable for the flagship Walt Disney Records l ...
earlier in the year.
In early 2015, NBC renewed with Mendler for a third season that consisted entirely of live episodes, which premiered October 15 of that year. In the season Justin proposes to Candace during a
Backstreet Boys show and she accepts. On November 13, 2015, minutes before air time, a decision was made to pre-empt the then-upcoming live program due to the
November 2015 Paris attacks
The November 2015 Paris attacks () were a series of coordinated Islamist terrorist attacks that took place on Friday, 13 November 2015 in Paris, France, and the city's northern suburb, Saint-Denis. Beginning at 9:15p.m., three suicide bombers ...
. The next week, the live episode references were made about the attack as a tribute. Following the third season, it was announced that NBC had cancelled continuation of the series.
2016–present: Current work
In 2016, Mendler began working on new music.
Mendler discussed some of the producers and songwriters she was working with, including
Mitch Allan,
Dan Book, Alexei Misoul, Augie Ray, Beloryze,
TMS,
Ina Wroldsen
Ina Christine Wroldsen (born 29 May 1984), previously known simply as Ina, is a Norwegian singer and songwriter. She was a part of the electropop duo Ask Embla with Icelandic producer and songwriter Arnthor Birgisson.
Career
Wroldsen's caree ...
, and
Steve Mac
Steve McCutcheon (born 15 January 1972), known professionally as Steve Mac, is a British record producer, songwriter and musician. A multi-award-winning producer, he is one of the most prolific songwriters and record producers in modern British ...
. On August 4, 2016, Mendler announced the title of her new single, "
Atlantis", featuring Kaiydo, which was released on August 26, 2016. The EP, ''
Nemesis
In ancient Greek religion, Nemesis, also called Rhamnousia or Rhamnusia ( grc, Ῥαμνουσία, Rhamnousía, the goddess of Rhamnous), was the goddess who personifies retribution, a central concept in the Greek world view.
Etymology
The n ...
'', was released on November 18. In October 2016, Mendler was cast as Ashley Willerman on the fifth season of the CMT television series ''
Nashville
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...
''.
On February 3, 2017, Mendler announced her new single, "
Temperamental Love" featuring Devontée. The music video was featured the YouTuber Jam in The Van. On February 10, Mendler was cast in lead role of the
Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelv ...
comedy television pilot ''Thin Ice'', created by
Elizabeth Meriwether, but the network ultimately passed on the pilot in May. On August 25, 2017, Mendler released a single titled "
Diving" with American group RKCB. The official music video was released hours after the release of the song. She appeared in the
Netflix comedy film ''
Father of the Year'' along with
David Spade,
Joey Bragg
Joey Franklin Bragg (born July 20, 1996) is an American actor and comedian.
Career
Bragg is known for his role as Freddie Raines in ''Call Your Mother'' and previous role as Joey Rooney in the Disney Channel sitcom ''Liv and Maddie'', which air ...
,
Matt Shively and
Jackie Sandler, which was released July 20, 2018.
In November 2019, Mendler appeared in the eight-part Netflix comedy television series, ''
Merry Happy Whatever'', along with
Dennis Quaid,
Ashley Tisdale
Ashley Michelle Tisdale (born July 2, 1985) is an American actress and singer. During her childhood, she was featured in over 100 advertisements and had minor roles in television and theatre. She achieved mainstream success as Maddie Fitzpatr ...
, and her ''Undateable'' co-star
Brent Morin.
Other ventures
Philanthropy
In 2010, Mendler became ambassador to
First Book
First Book is a national, nonprofit social enterprise focusing on educational equity as a path out of poverty. The organization addresses barriers to education faced by children in low-income and historically excluded communities by providing brand ...
, a campaign to encourage reading and gives books to children in need.
In 2011 it became part of
Disney's Friends for Change, a
pro-social "
green" initiative of charity for environmental issues encouraging fans to take action.
As campaign theme that year Mendler released a promotional single on June 11, "
We Can Change the World
Disney's Friends for Change (also referred to as Friends for Change: Project Green) is a pro-social "green" initiative that started in the summer of 2009.
History
Disney stars stress environmental issues in the campaign, encouraging fans to take ...
", raising $250,000 for the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund.
She also participated of the
Disney's Friends for Change Games, an Olympic-based televised games aired on the
Disney Channel
Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...
, getting $125,000 donation to
UNICEF as Yellow Team captain and also competing for $100,000. But her team lost to the
World Wide Fund for Nature. In 2012 Mendler won the honorary award
Common Sense Media as ''Role Model of the Year'' for her work against bullying.
Mendler was the third young artist to win the award, which usually honors environmentalists and scholars.
She also attended the annual
UNICEF acoustic concert in
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
to raise donations for charity in January 2013. In July 2012 Mendler became ambassador of the campaign ''Give With Target'' with
Target Corporation to raise funds to reform schools in the United States. The campaign aims to get $1 billion by 2015. To start the Target campaign, they invested $5 million and distributed $25,000 grants to 100 in-need schools for the school year.
Mendler said about the incentive: “I’m excited to partner with Target on their Give With Target campaign and celebrate the start of a new school year with kids across the country. It's so important for all kids to have everything they need for a successful school year”.
[ In August she got $5 million donated by The Walt Disney Company and more $2 million donated by people at Facebook.
She was featured in a March 2013 public campaign Delete Digital Drama with the Seventeen Magazine to end cyberbullying.] About the campaign she said "Being bullied is something I experienced in school and it is not fun...I love working to end cyberbullying. People don't have to push back as much as they would in real life. People need to realize bullying has just as much of an impact online because words are so cutting and difficult to deal with". She also worked with Acuvue being a mentor to help Katie, a winner of the 2013 ''Acuvue 1-Day Contest'', get closer to her dream of making a difference. On October 8 Mendler hosted the event We Day of Free The Children Foundation, a campaign that helps build schools for underprivileged children of Canadian and American cities. Also for Free The Children Foundation she was godmother of We Create a Change to help needy children.
On November 16, 2013, Mendler participated of the World Challenge Marathon for Save the Children Foundation, a charity race to helps children with health problems. In March 2014, Mendler traveled to region of El Quiché, Guatemala
Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...
to participate in the other project of Save the Children that helps underprivileged children in developing countries. On April 8, she released the ''Baby Sit In'', that asks for teens to help give parents a break and give babies a healthy start to their life. Mendler said "It’s an easy way for kids to help little ones everywhere get a healthy start and an opportunity to learn just by doing something they do most weekends anyway". Mendler represented the institution during the charity congress ''Save the Children's annual Advocacy Summit'' in Washington, D.C. Carolyn Miles, the Save the Children's president, thanked Mendler publicly for humanitarian work: "We are thrilled to have Bridgit on board. Her passion for helping children truly came through when she met with families and kids during her visits to the remote communities in the deserts of California and Guatemala's western highlands".[
]
Image and endorsements
Mendler was included on Billboard's "21 Under 21: Music's Hottest Minors" list in 2012. In 2013 she also appeared in the list of thirteen. She was also chosen as one of the ten hottest young female artists by '' Forbes Woman''. In 2012, Mendler was chosen as role model of the year by Common Sense Media, a non-profit organization that honors innovative minds from the worlds of entertainment, public policy and technology and rewards mainly teachers, scientists and philanthropists. She was honored for her charity work in anti-bullying actions, improving the lives of families by providing a trustworthy role model and creating a positive impact in the world. Mendler was the second youngest artist to win the award, after Miranda Cosgrove.
In 2012, Mendler signed with Target Corporation to release an exclusive line of clothing inspired by her character Teddy Duncan of Good Luck Charlie. The ''D-Signed by Teddy Duncan'' fashion collection includes clothing, accessories, hats, scarves, and souvenirs for girls in range from 4 to 18 years old. In March 2013, a Spring edition was also released. While promoting her debut single " Ready or Not", Mendler signed with The Hunt, a mobile app which combines clothes and shows fashion tendencies. She released exclusively her music video and registered some personal clothes and fashion searches. She also had her own version in the games FanFUN FANfinity. While promoting her debut album ''Hello My Name Is...'', Mendler offered exclusive album promotions through Target. In 2014 she signed with the line of dermatology products Clean & Clear and recorded several commercials and campaigns for real beauty.
Personal life
Relationships
On March 27, 2012, Shane Harper said in an interview with ''Officially the Hottest'' that he was dating Mendler. Harper told the interviewer that they became friends early in '' Good Luck Charlie'' and began dating in May 2011. In an interview with ''Cambio
Cambio is the Spanish word for "change", and may refer to:
;Publications
* ''Cambio'' (magazine), a Colombian political magazine
*Cambio (newspaper), a Bolivian newspaper
;Entertainment and games
* ''Cambio'' (band), a Filipino band
*Perissone Ca ...
'' in September 2012, Mendler stated that it took two years between her meeting Harper and beginning to date him. To ''Classicalite'', Mendler talked about dating Harper, and said it took time for them to begin something, because she needed time to think. She said, "We knew each other for a while, were friends for a long time. I think everybody was very respectful about it and wanted to make sure that it wouldn't be weird." In November 2015, Mendler revealed that she had ended her relationship with Harper.
In October 2019, Mendler announced via Instagram that she had married her long-term boyfriend Griffin Cleverly.
Education
Mendler has a degree in anthropology from the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles, California.[ In 2012 Mendler joined USC's anthropology class.][ She decided to study art after two members of her band joined her at USC. In an interview with Brian Mansfield of '' USA Today'', Mendler said: "My plan right now is just to do one class at a time and see how that goes. I'm just going to study something that will be interesting and doable from the road and just take care of my general education courses for now. I want to know something outside of what I do."] In 2013, she chose anthropology and studied Medieval Visual Culture, and medical Anthropology. To the '' University Star'', Mendler said USC was important so that she doesn't have a formulaic career: "I think seeing that college life and what that would've been like, it does make you wonder what sort of lifestyle that would be, but I'm really grateful for what I have, and I think it's cool that, because my career path is not as formulaic, I can kind of decide when I want to take time off to do certain things."[ In 2016 she graduated as an anthropologist.] Mendler has doctorate plans,[ inspired by her mother, doctor of public policy.
In May 2017, Mendler was announced as one of the 2017 MIT Media Lab's Director's Fellows. In May 2018, she announced on Twitter that she started a graduate program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with a focus on improving social media: "As an entertainer, for years I struggled with social media because I felt like there was a more loving and human way to connect with fans." In January 2019, Mendler indicated that she was enrolled in a class at ]Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States.
Each class ...
. In 2020, she completed her graduate degree at MIT and began working on her Ph.D with MIT's Center for Constructive Communications and Social Machines group. As of 2022, she is concurrently enrolled in the law school program at Harvard University and Ph.D. program at MIT.
Artistry
Influences
Mendler has cited Bob Dylan as her biggest musical influence. To Ed Condran of Hartford Courant
The ''Hartford Courant'' is the largest daily newspaper in the U.S. state of Connecticut, and is considered to be the oldest continuously published newspaper in the United States. A morning newspaper serving most of the state north of New Haven ...
she said that: "You look at what Bob Dylan and artists like him have done and you just can't help but be blown away. I'm just glad I have the opportunity to start with this and I just want to take it as far as I can". In an interview with Disney Channel Netherlands, she revealed that her favorite song was " Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" from Dylan's 1963 album '' The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan''. To Taylor Trudon of ''Huffington Post'' she said: "He was the first musician I got into where I paid attention to songwriting. He has a way of writing songs that's really playful with lyrics, but at the same time he's saying something that people feel is important and that they relate to. He spoke for a whole generation.".[ Also to Trudon, Mendler cited ]Etta James
Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012), known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer who performed in various genres, including gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, rock and roll, and soul. Starting her career in 1954, sh ...
, Elvis Presley, B. B. King
Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shimm ...
, Lily Allen, Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday, and talked about these artists: "I love that they have soul in their voices. I think that's something important".[ Other musical influences include ]Elvis Costello
Declan Patrick MacManus Order of the British Empire, OBE (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. He has won multiple awards in his career, including a Grammy Award in ...
, The Delfonics, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Van Morrison.[ During an interview with Yahoo!, in 2012, Mendler also commented that her first female influence was the R&B girl group ]Salt-N-Pepa
Salt-N-Pepa (also stylized as Salt 'N' Pepa or Salt 'N Pepa) is an American hip-hop group formed in New York City in 1985, that comprised Salt (Cheryl James), Pepa (Sandra Denton), and DJ Spinderella (Deidra Roper). Their debut album, ''Hot, C ...
and sang an impromptu a cappella rendition of the song "Shoop
Shoop may refer to:
*Shoop (surname)
*Shoop Building, a historic office building in Racine, Wisconsin, U.S.
*Shoop Site (36DA20), a prehistoric archaeological site in Pennsylvania, U.S.
*''Shoop v. Hill'', a 2019 U.S. Supreme Court case
Music
* " ...
".
She said hip hop band Fugees had great influence in her music training and also the recording of the debut album and song " Ready or Not", "One of the writers was like ‘Check out this Fugees song, ‘Ready or Not’. So we all listened to it and were like that would be kind of fun to do some sort of interpolation off of that song, which is what we did. I think it stands by itself as its own song but it still has that memorable quality of the Fugees song, which is fun. I think we were all really proud of it and hoping it will go far". For her debut album, '' Hello My Name Is...'', Mendler was inspired by indie pop singers Ingrid Michaelson
Ingrid Ellen Michaelson (born December 8, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Her first album, '' Slow the Rain,'' was released in 2005, and she has since released eight more albums: '' Girls and Boys,'' '' Be OK'', '' Everybody' ...
and Feist. Among the pop music artists, she cited Maroon 5
Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. It currently consists of lead vocalist Adam Levine, keyboardist and rhythm guitarist Jesse Carmichael, lead guitarist James Valentine (musician), James Valentine, drummer Matt ...
,[ No Doubt, ]Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final line-up comprised Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Houston, Texas. After years of limited ...
, Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records. Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and ac ...
, Beyoncé
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
and Bruno Mars.[ She cited Jamie Foxx as a great model of how to have a career in acting and music.][
Mendler said that is influenced by British neo-soul and listed ]Ellie Goulding
Elena Jane Goulding ( ; born 30 December 1986) is an English singer and songwriter. Her career began when she met record producers Starsmith and Frankmusik, and she was later spotted by Jamie Lillywhite, who became her manager and Artists and ...
, Florence and the Machine
Florence and the Machine (stylised as Florence + the Machine) are an English indie rock band that formed in London in 2007, consisting of lead vocalist Florence Welch, keyboardist Isabella Summers, guitarist Rob Ackroyd, harpist Tom Monger, and ...
, Marina Diamandis, and Lianne La Havas as her biggest British influences. She has mentioned Natasha Bedingfield,[ ]Broken Bells
Broken Bells is an American indie rock band composed of artist-producer Brian Burton (better known as Danger Mouse) and James Mercer, the lead vocalist and guitarist for the indie rock band The Shins. Broken Bells compose and create as a duo, ...
, Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse.[ In 2013 Mendler revealed to have a big admiration for the Adele's musical style. To Disney Channel UK she said that "admire the career of Adele, because she has her own musical style. She does things her way and writes about things she is passionate about. It is really working out well for her".][ She was also influenced by Canadian artists Feist] and Tegan and Sara. To Hartford Courant
The ''Hartford Courant'' is the largest daily newspaper in the U.S. state of Connecticut, and is considered to be the oldest continuously published newspaper in the United States. A morning newspaper serving most of the state north of New Haven ...
she commented: "I've been a fan of Tegan and Sara's for awhile. They just do what they want to do. They don't follow trends".[ She covered the song " I Was a Fool" by the duo and released with the message: "I heard this song by Tegan and Sara a couple weeks ago and couldn't stop singing it, so I just had to do my own version". In 2014, she mentioned in an interview to CKQK-FM Canadian artists Nelly Furtado, ]Joni Mitchell
Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell ( Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian-American musician, producer, and painter. Among the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her sta ...
and European bands Coldplay and Little Dragon as influences in composing her second album.
In acting career, Mendler has cited some influences as Jamie Foxx, Natalie Portman and Rachel McAdams. About McAdams she said that "She plays a variety of roles, she has a lot of charisma, and she doesn’t try to live her life in the public eye". She also admires the dedication of Christian Bale: "I could not live my life as committed to the craft as he does, with body transformations and such, he goes to such extremes but he is very admirable".[ Mendler also mentioned ]Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Dee Lohan ( ; born July 2, 1986) is an American actress and singer. Born in New York City and raised on Long Island, Lohan was signed to Ford Models at the age of three. Having appeared as a regular on the television soap opera '' An ...
as a great actress.
Lyrical themes and songwriting
Thematically, Guilherme Tintel of Portal It Pop has noted that Mendler wasn't immature as the first work of other Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood, ...
artists. Tintel compares her songs to Jessie J
Jessica Ellen Cornish (born 27 March 1988), known professionally as Jessie J, is an English singer. Born and raised in London, she began her career on stage, aged 11, with a role in the West End musical '' Whistle Down the Wind''. She studied ...
, Katy Perry
Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Known for her influence on modern pop music and her Camp (style), campy style, she has been ...
, Natalia Kills and Taylor Swift.[ Mendler said that the writing process isn't hard, because she was influenced by her own experiences.][ Her debut single, " Ready or Not", talks about self-confidence and deal with boys.][ To Pop Dirt Mendler said: "I consider myself to be that girl sitting at the curb waiting for the world, so I think it’s a great message to send to just go for the things that you want to take charge of".][ Her debut album discussed relationships ("Rocks at My Window", "Top of the World", "Love Will Tell Us Where to Go", "The Fall Song" and "Hold On for Dear Love"), break-up (" 5:15"), alienation and romantic chaos ("Hurricane" and "Forgot to Laugh"), self-confidence ("Ready or Not"), self-esteem ("City Lights"), friendship ("We're Dancing"), money ("All I See Is Gold") and blonde girls ("Blonde").][
To ]Hartford Courant
The ''Hartford Courant'' is the largest daily newspaper in the U.S. state of Connecticut, and is considered to be the oldest continuously published newspaper in the United States. A morning newspaper serving most of the state north of New Haven ...
she commented that writing is a compulsion. "It's also something I really enjoy. I like to create. It's part of being a recording artist. I love to write songs".[ Mendler also said she didn't want to make commercial songs, but timeless songs. "I want to make music that stands the test of time. You look at what Bob Dylan and artists like him have done and you just can't help but be blown away. I'm just glad I have the opportunity to start with this and I just want to take it as far as I can. I wanted variety and to just make things really interesting. This isn't just something that comes out of a machine. It came out of me. This isn't about product. I want to grow as an artist. I remember listening to certain recording artists and songs that had a really big impact on me".][
]
Musical and voice style
Mendler's vocal range spans 3.4 octaves. She is a mezzo-soprano
A mezzo-soprano or mezzo (; ; meaning "half soprano") is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below middle C ...
.[ She plays guitar,] keyboard, and keytar
The keytar is a lightweight synthesizer that is supported by a strap around the neck and shoulders, similar to the way a guitar is supported by a strap. Keytars allow players a greater range of movement onstage, compared to conventional keyboard ...
Sávio Alves of Febre Teen Magazine said that Mendler's voice was "strong and sweet". He calls Mendler's voice as having a "metallic tone" and this being "rare in young female singers".[ Her voice was compared to indie and ]blues
Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...
artists.[ Her music is generally ]pop
Pop or POP may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* Pop music, a musical genre Artists
* POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade
* Pop!, a UK pop group
* Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band
Albums
* ''Pop'' (G ...
and reggae fusion[ and has features of R&B,] funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...
, and hip hop soul.[ In an interview, she said she prefers to escape the traditional ]pop
Pop or POP may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* Pop music, a musical genre Artists
* POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade
* Pop!, a UK pop group
* Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band
Albums
* ''Pop'' (G ...
and dance-pop
Dance-pop is a popular music subgenre that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit radio. Developing from a ...
and adding other elements. "I have funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...
y, R&B tendencies when I write by myself. I really love doo-wop
Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a genre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chica ...
and a jazzy swing beat. Rhythm is a big emphasis in my own writing".[ Her voice and style has been compared to Lily Allen.][ She has been compared to Miley Cyrus, who also started on the ]Disney Channel
Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...
, but in an interview to '' Christian Post'' Mendler said: "I'm not Miley Cyrus. There may be some similarities but I'm my own person." In 2013, during an interview with the ''Huffington Post'', Mendler was compared to other young artists and asked if she would follow the footsteps in pop music. Mendler said that "They've done so much and they're so talented. I think it's tricky because they've been obviously very successful, but I think you always want to be your own person and not be categorized by doing the same thing".[
]
Filmography
Film
Television
Video games
* '' Bone: The Great Cow Race'' (2006), as Thorn (voice role)
Discography
;Studio albums
* '' Hello My Name Is...'' (2012)
;Extended plays
* ''Live in London'' (2013)
* ''Nemesis
In ancient Greek religion, Nemesis, also called Rhamnousia or Rhamnusia ( grc, Ῥαμνουσία, Rhamnousía, the goddess of Rhamnous), was the goddess who personifies retribution, a central concept in the Greek world view.
Etymology
The n ...
'' (2016)
Concert tours
* Live in Concert (2012)
* Summer Tour (2013–2014)
* Nemesis Tour (2016–2017)
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mendler, Bridgit
1992 births
21st-century American actresses
21st-century American singers
21st-century American women singers
Actresses from Washington, D.C.
American child actresses
American child singers
American women pop singers
American sopranos
American television actresses
American voice actresses
Hollywood Records artists
Living people
Singers from Washington, D.C.
Singers with a three-octave vocal range
Songwriters from Washington, D.C.
University of Southern California alumni
Walt Disney Records artists
Massachusetts Institute of Technology fellows